30 years on: Paul Lim produces fairytale Lakeside return with straight sets triumph over Moreno Blom

Paul Lim is well known all over the world as a true darting legend and was the first to hit a nine-dart finish at the Lakeside back in 1990. 30 years on from his last appearance, 'The Singapore Slinger' rolled back the years to defeat Moreno Blom on Monday night.

It is perhaps a bit of a different transition to make for Lim who for the past few decades has spent most of his December preparing for the PDC World Darts Championship.

Albeit he has not qualified since 2022 with the PDC Asian Tour continuing to get stronger and Lim is no longer the standard bearer. But he still manages to impress on the WDF circuit and qualified for the first time since 1994.

Facing Blom was a tough task on paper, the Dutchman impressed on his debut last year and albeit lost first round in the recent PDC West Europe qualifier averaged in the mid 90's to eventual winner Stefan Bellmont. But he was poor against Lim averaging 77.8 as the Singapore Slinger averaged 90.2 in coasting to victory.

He looked like he'd never been away from the great stage to start off as he took out three legs on the spin to win the opening set 3-1. Blom took out 72 albeit after Lim missing 64 to break throw to start the second set but a 14-darter from Lim saw him draw level and he did break next time out with a 14-darter for 2-1 with an 83 checkout.

Blom was way back in the next leg as Lim coasted to victory pinning double 20 first time after missing 136 initially for the match. It is now Hong Kong v Singapore as Kai Fan Leung now faces Lim for a spot in the third round.

Deta Hedman is into the Quarter-Finals in a night of veterans showing that they still very much have the top darts to match their younger counterparts as she defeated former finalist, Kirsty Hutchinson.

Hedman usually struggles on the Lakeside stage at least in recent years but superbly came back from a set down to seal the win with Nicole Regnaud who averaged very similar albeit showed more of a ceiling till the wheels fell off of sorts is next up in what could be the tie to watch in the women's draw.

It was six legs on the spin from Hedman as 'The Heart of Darts' upped her level and Hutchinson started to miss doubles. The latter's reaction said it all at the end as she looked frustrated at letting the opportunity slip.

After getting the second set back, she started off the third with a 123, 139 and 76 checkout on the spin for a 1-0 lead and again it went down to the doubling and she finally got over the line to break and go 2-0 up and the same can be said for the winning line as she pinned double two. A game of fine margins and one that Hedman prevailed in.